Fiber applicator

ABSTRACT

A composite applicator housing structure includes a boxlike rear, sheet metal section holding a supply of nylon or other fibers and having horizontal baffles to keep the fiber mass evenly distributed, and an electrically nonconductive front section. The latter has a rear, nonconducting fiberglass screen of fairly small mesh disposed across the open front of the rear section and, in spaced-parallel relation to this screen, there is a conductive metal forward screen of somewhat greater mesh size, which metal screen is electrically charged. The two housing sections are separately connected to one another, the rear section being electrically grounded and having rear hand grips for the manipulation of the applicator by an operator.

United States Patent Pewtress [541 FIBER APPLICATOR [72] Inventor: Vernon J. Pewtress, Farmington Township, Oakland County, Mich.

Co-Polymer Chemicals, Inc., Livonia, Mich.

221 Filed: Feb. 25, 1970 211 Appl.No.: 14,106

[73] Assignee:

[51] Int. Cl [58] FieldoiSearch ..239/l5; 117/17; l18/621,629

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,496,911 2/1970 Chmelar ..239/l5 X 2,174,328 9/1939 Meston et a1. ...l18/629 2,352,252 6/1944 Canetta ..239/l5 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant Examiner-Edwin Dv Grant Attorney-Whittemore, Hulbert 8L Belknap [5 7] ABSTRACT A composite applicator housing structure includes a boxlike rear, sheet metal section holding a supply of nylon or other fibers and having horizontal baffles to keep the fiber mass evenly distributed, and an electrically nonconductive front section. The latter has a rear, nonconducting fiberglass screen of fairly small mesh disposed across the open front of the rear section and, in spaced-parallel relation to this screen, there is a conductive metal forward screen of somewhat greater mesh size, which metal screen is electrically charged. The two housing sections are separately connected to one another, the rear section being electrically grounded and having rear hand grips for the manipulation of the applicator by an operator.

16 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures TEUFEB I 5 m2 FATE SHEET 1 BF 2 FlG.l

FIG.4

INVENTOR.

PA K 7'1? $5 ATTORNEYS PAWEFEB 15 :97? 342,203

SHEET 2 OF 2 FIG.6

ATTORNEYS FIBER APPLICATOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The applicator of the invention is used in the flocking omamentation of adhesively coated planar surfaces, utilizing finely comminuted nylon fibers or similar particulate elements to impart a velourlike appearance to wall or like surfaces.

2. Description of the Prior Art The US. Pat. to I-Iug, No. 2,706,963, of Apr. 26, 1955, discloses a fiber coating device operating on the same general principle as the applicator of the present invention, though being structurally dissimilar. Smyser, US. Pat. No. 2,447,374, of Aug. 17, I948, also relates generally to the production of a suedelike surface of fibrous elements deposited under the influence of an electric field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The applicator is of a very lightweight construction, including a boxlike forward housing subassembly or section comprised in the main of rigid transparent plastic components, for example, of nonconductive transparent Lucite. On this frame section an electrically conductive, forwardly or outwardly facing foraminated member, preferably a hardware cloth screen, serves as one electrode of an electrostatic field set up in the operation of the applicator.

A second or rear housing section is in the form of an electrically grounded, boxlike sheet metal housing subdivided by transversely spaced baffles or partitions for receiving and generally distributing comminuted nylon or other finely particulate fibers to be deposited. The thus-defined rear housing spaces are separated from the forward housing space by a nonconductive screen, preferably of fiberglass, through which the fibers are exposed to travel under the electrostatic field influence in the direction toward and through the conductive forward screen. The two screens are spaced quite critically from one another for optimum performance; and a generously apertured, nonconductive rear panel of the front section restrains the fibers from spilling forwardly unduly into that section. The latter has an apertured bottom enabling any such excess fibers to fall to the floor.

The rear housing section and the electrically conductive screen and nonconductive housing portion of the front section are releasably held together by manually operable latch devices, enabling the housing sections to be readily separated, as for replenishment of the fiber charge, cleaning or servicing, then reassembled for almost uninterrupted use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the applicator of the invention shown as being disconnected from normal electrical cable and other energizing means;

FIG. 2 is a schematic view in side elevation illustrating the manner of utilizing the applicator in the flock-coating of an electrically grounded upright wall surface;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the applicator;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view in enlarged scale in transverse vertical section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view in transverse vertical section on line 5-5 of FIG. 3, showing the full assembly of front and rear housing sections of the applicator, and certain partition and shielding structure internally thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic writing diagram illustrating electrical power supply and control components for the applicator.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The applicator of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10 and as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, essentially comprises a front or outer housing section 11 constructed in the main of assembled Luctie-type plastic sheet panels, and a rear or inner boxlike sheet metal housing section 12. These sections are releasably held together as by flexibly articulated plastic latches 13 at the opposite ends of the housing section 12.

Latches 13 are of a known Southco manufacture, each including an extensible and flexibly jointed plastic latching element l4 fixedly connected through the agency of a nonconductive plastic mounting and spacing pad 15 to a sheet metal upright end wall panel 16 of rear housing section 12. Latching elements 14 are capable of flexing forwardly to overextend the rear of the outer or rear panel section, where each has releasable snap latching engagement about a blocklike concealed keeper element 14 (FIG. 5) fixed on an end and adjacent the rear of front housing section 1 l.

The rear housing section 12 is completed in a rectangular boxlike outline by parallel top and bottom walls 17, which may be rivet or weld connected at inturned flanges 18 thereof to top and bottom portions of the end walls 16, and by a rear wall 19 which is integrally connected between end walls 16. The rear wall panel 19 and end wall panels 16 are in the form of a unitary metal stamping of a suitable lightweight sheet material.

Rear housing section 12 is internally subdivided top to bottomwise, as viewed in FIG. 5, into three chambers or compartments 20 of equal size, as by two horizontal and parallel sheet metal partitions 21. Each of these is downturned 90 at opposite end flanges 22, at which the partition is rivet or weld connected to the housing end walls 16. The partitions 21 act as horizontal baffles between which a mass of fibers to be flocked is confined in a substantially even vertical distribution within the rear housing section 12. The rear wall 19 of the latter has an externally threaded, Amphenol-type electric connector part 23 fixedly applied at a corner, opening to the interior of the section. Connector 23 serves to mount a flexible electrical cable 24 of the coaxial type which electrically supplies a conductive screen component (to be described) of the front housing section 11. Suitable supporting and operating hand grips 25 are bolted-secured directly to rear housing panel 19; and FIG. 2 shows the manner in which these grips are grasped by an operator in the use of the applicator 10.

The front or outer housing section 11 of the applicator is, as described, electrically nonconductive, save for the screen component referred to above. To this end section 12 comprises a horizontally elongated rectangular top panel 26 of transparent Lucite in a thickness, say, of one-fourth inch; a bottom panel 27 of the same material, shape and dimension, but having an elongated rectangular bottom opening 28 of substantial width extending throughout almost the entire length thereof; like upright and parallel rectangular end wall panels 29, also of one-fourth-inch transparent Lucite; and a rear upright panel 30. The latter is formed with three horizontally elongated openings 31, each centered at a subdivided chamber 20 of the rear housing section 12; and it is through the openings 31 that nylon of like flocking filaments pass under the influence of an electrostatic field for application to a wall or like surface to be coated for a velourlike finish. The plastic material of panel 30 separating the openings 31 serves to prevent forward spilling of the fibers into the housing section 11.

The top, bottom, and side and rear housing panels 26, 27 and 29 of the front housing section 12, of rigid Lucite or like transparent plastic sheeting, are longitudinally grooved at 32, a bit forwardly of their rear edges, to receive the rear Lucite panel 30; and these joints are completed by the filleting of an appropriate plastic adhesive, such as an acrylic type along the sides thereof, as at 32 (FIG. 4).

The rear wall 30 of section 12 has a nonconductive screen 33, for example, of fiberglass cloth of, say 3/32X3/32-inch mesh size, applied and secured thereto, typically by the adhesive mentioned above, so as to cover the entire rear area of wall 30 and serve as a fiber-retaining screen for the compartments 20 in housing section 12, yet permitting passage of the fibers under influence of an electric field potential into and through the front or outer housing section 11.

The last-named section is completed by an electrically conductive screen 34, for example, of conventional galvanized metal hardware cloth of, say, ;41X%iinch mesh size. This screen is mounted across the forward rectangular opening of housing section 12 by the use of a rectangular frame composed of mitered corner-connected zinc angle lengths 35, to which the screen 34 is fixedly connected by a series of domed head steel pop rivets 36 disposed along the margins of the frame. The frame margins are seated in elongated grooves or recesses 37 rabbeted in the top, bottom and end plastic wall panels 26, 27 and 29 adjacent the forward extremity of front housing section 11; and the connection is completed and sealed by applying a peripheral filleting of acrylic or other suitable plastic adhesive 38, to unite the frame of the hardware cloth screen 34 to the section 1 l, in a manner best shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 5, the rear wall panel 30 of front housing section 12 is provided adjacent a corner thereof, and in frontto-rear alignment with the Amphenol connector element 23, with a circular opening 40 in which an elongated nonconductive tube or sleeve 41, for example, of a clear acrylic composition, is disposed, the tube extending substantially equal distances on opposite sides of panel 30. The tube 41 is itself adhesively joined to the panel 30 and the latters fiberglass cloth screen 33, as by fillets 42 of a compatible acrylic-type adhesive surrounding the tube. The latter receives the coaxial electric cable 24, as introduced in the rear wall fitting 23 rear of housing section 12; and a central conductive lead component 43 of this cable is electrically connected to a corner of the conductive screen 34 of front housing section 1 1.

Cable 24 connects, as through the agency of a recessed male AC receptacle 45 (FIG. 6.), with an electric power supply and control circuit 46 for the applicator 10, which circuit is housed in a power supply and control box 47 (FIG. 2); and a banana-type plug component 48 of the circuit 46 receives a rubber-insulated grounding wire 49. This lead is removably connected, as by an alligator clip 50, to a combined fiber collecting and grounding conductor sheet or tray 51 which, as shown in FIG. 2, makes contact with ground and an adhesive coated wall surface 52 which is to be flocked by the applicator 10.

The functioning of the latter is believed to be clear from what has been set forth above. Upon an electrical charging of the conductive hardware cloth screen 34 through the cable 24, an electrostatic field exists causing the ground-charged fibers, as supplied to the rear housing chambers 20 when the housing sections 11 and 12 are separated then reassembled at the latches 13, to be attracted so as to pass through the intermediate, nonconductive screen 33. Under the influence of the electrostatic potential they traverse the front housing section 11 and its screen 34, impinging the wall surface 52, to which they become adhesively secured. Any excess of fibers penetrating the charged screen 34 yet not adhering to the wall will be collected on the grounding tray 51. The majority of the fibers which may spill forwardly from rear housing section 12 (despite the baffle action of panel 30, or fail to penetrate the charged screen 34, will fall through the bottom opening 28 of the housing section 11, and may be retrieved and reused, rather than collecting in that section.

The grounding of the rear housing section 12, as at the Amphenol connector element 23, provides complete safety against shock to the operator. In other respects, the applicator is manipulated by the operator in the general manner described in the patent to Hug identified above. The readily separated nature of the front and rear housing sections 11 and 12 enables the fiber charge of the latter to be readily and quickly replenished from time to time; and the horizontal partitioning and bafiling of section 12, plus the presence of fiberglass screen 33, lends to a uniform disposition of the fibers on the adhesive coated wall.

Reference has been made above to a desired optimum front-to-rear spacing of the respective conductive and nonconductive screens 34 and 33 from one another. Assuming an approximately 8Xl4-inches exposed area of the charged screen 34, as typically composed of 28-gauge hardware cloth, and the application of a typical relatively high-voltage, lowamperage current to that screen, a screen spacing of 2% or 3 inches will be desired. Other than this the proportioning and number of the conductive divider partitions 21 in housing 12, and/or the variation of the power of the charge by manipulation ofthe circuit 46 of FIG. 6, will enable a proper flow of the flocking fibers onto the surface 52, without an effect of electrical arcing-back to the metal housing 12.

Structural features of the electrical power supply and control circuit 46 referred to constitute no significant part of the present invention, but will be briefly referred to in the interest of completeness. Thus, the unit schematically depicted at 54 in FIG. 6 is a conventional power pack employing plastic capacitors, being connected by electrical leads55, 56 to an appropriate indicating meter 57, which is itself connected by conductors 58, 59 with a conventional manually operated powerstat control unit 60. It is at this that the intensity of the electrical charge on screen 34 may be manually regulated, as indicated above.

Control unit 70 is connected by leads 61 and 62 to an indicator light 63, and a conventionalcircuit breaker unit 64 bridges between this light and a manually operated on"- off switch unit 65, the latter being connected through a lead 66 with a nongrounded terminal of the receptacle 45. An electrical lead 67 connects the ground terminal of the receptacle with the grounding plug element 48, said ground terminal being also connected through a lead 68 with the power pack 54. A further lead 69 goes from a nongrounded terminal of receptacle 15 to a terminal of the power pack, at which the meter lead 56 is also connected; and a bleeder wire 70 leads the power pack 54 to a terminal connection shared by the lead What is claimed is:

1. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure affording a space including a section to receive a charge of said material, and an electrically conductive member past which said material moves to an object solely under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said member, said member being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of movement of said material toward said object.

2. An applicator for fibers and like, particulate material, comprising a housing structure including releasably connected boxlike sections one of which affords a space to receive a charge of said material, the other section mounting an electrically conductive screen through which said material moves to an object under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said screen, said screen being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of movement of said material toward said object.

3. The applicator of claim 1, in which the housing section affording said space is electrically grounded to maintain said particulate material at ground potential and thereby enhance the movement of the material from said space across the distance intervening between the latter and the charged member.

4. The applicator of claim 2, in which the housing section affording said space is electrically grounded.

5. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure including a section affording a space to receive a charge of said material, and an electrically conductive member past which said material moves to an object under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said member, said member being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of said material toward said object, the housing section affording said space being electrically grounded and said space being internally compartmented to subdivide a mass of said material therein.

6. The applicator of claim 4, in which the housing section affording said space is provided with an electrically nonconductive screen through which said material moves toward said electrically conductive screen.

7. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure including a section affording a space to receive a charge of said material, and an electrically conductive member past which said material moves to an object under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said member, said member being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of movement of said material toward said object, said material-receiving space having a foraminate member through which said material moves toward said electrically conductive member, said members being predeterminately spaced from one another in the direction of movement of the material.

8. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure including a section affording a space to receive a charge of said material, and an electrically conductive member past which said material moves to an object under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said member, said member being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of movement of said material toward said object, the housing section affording said space being electrically grounded, said material-receiving space having a foraminate member through which said material moves toward said electrically conductive member, said members being predeter minately spaced from one another in the direction of movement of the material.

9. The applicator of claim 6, in which said material-receiving space has a foraminate member through which said material moves toward said electrically conductive member, said members being predeterminately spaced from one another in the direction of movement of the material.

10. The applicator of claim 6, in which an electrically nonconductive, apertured panel coacts with said nonconductive screen in separating said material-receiving space from said electrically conductive screen and a space rearwardly of the latter.

11. The applicator of claim 9, in which an electrically nonconductive, apertured panel coacts with said nonconductive member in separating said material-receiving space from said electrically conductive member and a space rearwardly of the latter.

12. The applicator of claim 2, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive material.

13. The applicator of claim 4, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive material.

14. The applicator of claim 6, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive transparent material.

15. The applicator of claim 9, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive transparent material.

16. The applicator of claim 10, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive transparent material. 

1. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure affording a space including a section to receive a charge of said material, and an electrically conductive member past which said material moves to an object solely under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said member, said member being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of movement of said material toward said object.
 2. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure including releasably connected boxlike sections one of which affords a space to receive a charge of said material, the other section mounting an electrically conductive screen through which said material moves to an object under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said screen, said screen being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of movement of said material toward said object.
 3. The applicator of claim 1, in which the housing section affording said space is electrically grounded to maintain said particulate material at ground potential and thereby enhance the movement of the material from said space across the distance intervening between the latter and the charged member.
 4. The applicator of claim 2, in which the housing section affording said space is electrically grounded.
 5. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure including a section affording a space to receive a charge of said material, and an electrically conductive member past which said material moves to an object under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said member, said member being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of said material toward said object, the housing section affording said space being electrically grounded and said space being internally compartmented to subdivide a mass of said material therein.
 6. The applicator of claim 4, in which the housing section affording said space is provided with an electrically nonconductive screen through which said material moves toward said electrically conductive screen.
 7. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure including a section affording a space to receive a charge of said material, and an electrically conductive member past which said material moves to an object under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said member, said member being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of movement of said material toward said object, said material-receiving space having a foraminate member through which said material moves toward said electrically conductive member, said members being predeterminately spaced from one another in the direction of movement of the material.
 8. An applicator for fibers and like particulate material, comprising a housing structure including a section affording a space to receive a charge of said material, and an electrically conductive member past which said material moves to an object under the influence of an electrostatic field upon an electrical charging of said member, said member being predeterminately spaced from said material-receiving space in the direction of movement of said material toward said object, the housing section affording said space being electrically grounded, said material-receiving space having a foraminate member through which said material moves toward said electrically conductive member, said members being predeterminately spaced from one another in the direction of movement of the material.
 9. The applicator of claim 6, in which said material-receiving space has a foraminate member through which said material moves toward said electrically conductive member, said members being predeterminately spaced from one another in the direction of movement of the material.
 10. The applicator of claim 6, in which an electrically nonconductive, apertured panel coacts with said nonconductive screen in separating said material-receiving space from said electrically conductive screen and a space rearwardly of the latter.
 11. The applicator of claim 9, in which an electrically nonconductive, apertured panel coacts with said nonconductive member in separating said material-receiving space from said electrically conductive member and a space rearwardly of the latter.
 12. The applicator of claim 2, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive material.
 13. The applicator of claim 4, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive material.
 14. The applicator of claim 6, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive transparent material.
 15. The applicator of claim 9, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive transparent material.
 16. The applicator of claim 10, in which said other section mounting said electrically conductive screen is at least in part housed by panel parts of an electrically nonconductive transparent material. 